Trying to learn my true surname.

[venolia]

Hello Everyone,

From family records and our research, we have deduced that our surname of "Venolia" is an Americanized name, which happened when my grandfather came to the United States and couldn’t speak English.

My Grandfather Giovanni was born in Italy in 1860.

In 1900 the Illinois Census in Braidwood City, Reed Township listed his name as John Fenolia.

St. Clair County, IL: In 1914 on his Declaration of Intention from the Department of Commerce and Labor, Naturalization Service, his name is listed as John Vinolia, birthplace New Chato, Italy, 29 July 1860, and that being his last foreign residence in Italy.

The Declaration states he arrived in New York, 26 August 1880, from Le Havre, France.

The Declaration is signed with his mark of an "X."

In our research, we found a Jean Vignola on the ship "France," out of Le Havre, 25 August 1881.

We found two towns in Italy, Nucetto and Gnocchetto that could have been translated from “New Chato.â€

[adamf]

Robert,

It would help if you could give us some more information. i.e. Names of wife and children. As much birth, marriage, and death records as you can give.

I've also searched the Braidwood area and recall coming across quite a few Fenoglios. So, a possibility.

Also, there is a wonderful woman from that area who runs the Carbon Hill School Museum. Her name is Michelle and she has a vast knowledge of the Italian coal miner immigrants from that area. I would be surprised if she couldn't help you. Here is the website for the museum. Michelle's email is at the bottom. http://www.coalcity.lib.il.us/museum.htm

[pink67]

Hi Robert,
I agree with Adamf...
My best guess is that the correct lastname should have been Fenoglio....

You can see on this site the lastname's distribution in Italy:

http://www.gens.labo.net/

It's mainly present in the Piedmont region...

I believe also the arrival manifest you found is correct:

New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
about Jean Fenoglio
Name: Jean Fenoglio
Arrival Date: 25 Aug 1881
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1855
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Port of Departure: Le Havre, France
Destination: United States of America
Place of Origin: Italy
Ethnicity/Race­/Nationality: Italian
Ship Name: France
Search Ship Database: View the France in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Port of Arrival: New York
Line: 40
Microfilm Serial: M237
Microfilm Roll: M237_441
List Number: 1170
Port Arrival State: New York
Port Arrival Country: United States
Occupation: Blacksmith

He was travelling with:

Antonio Fenoglio (male) age 20, Domenica Fenoglio (female age ?), Antonio (male, age 5?) and Maria (female, age?)

[img=http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/1904 ... 881.th.jpg]

Laura

p.s. Jean is not an italian first name but I thought that, as they left from Le Havre (France) aboard on a ship named France, possible the person who filled the manifest was french. Jean is the French version of Giovanni.

[suanj]

It is possible that John and Mary ... well as first destination was Chicago, IL?
I found this record:
Rosam Catharinam Fenolio Pedigree
Female


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Event(s):
Birth: 17 AUG 1881

Christening: 30 AUG 1881 Chicago, Cook, Illinois

Death:
Burial:


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Parents:
Father: Johanne Fenolio Family
Mother: Maria Baronia

In 1900 census, Mary declared that had 12 children, 6 living....
suanj

[venolia]

adamf,
my wife has done much work in the Braidwood area,I do not think there is any information about our name there.
My grandmothers name is Maria Catterina Ferrero,she immigrated from Canischio,Italy in 1882,birthdate Sept.26,1854.
She was not married to my Grandfather until 1888 or never.
In 1920 everyone moved to California.
pink67,
thank you ,we have that information.
suanj,
thank you,my Grandmother immigrated 1882.

Thank you all.

[adamf]

[quote="venolia"]In our research, we found a Jean Vignola on the ship "France," out of Le Havre, 25 August 1881.

We found two towns in Italy, Nucetto and Gnocchetto that could have been translated from “New Chato.â€

[venolia]

[quote="adamf"][quote="venolia"]In our research, we found a Jean Vignola on the ship "France," out of Le Havre, 25 August 1881.

We found two towns in Italy, Nucetto and Gnocchetto that could have been translated from “New Chato.â€

[adamf]

Ok. Here is the 1900 census, for quick reference.

1900 Census

This census indicates that John and "Taro" were married for 18 years at the time of the census, so roughly 1882. Which is about the time they both immigrated. So they either married just before, or just after immigration. I'm curious as to why you think they were married later than this, or not at all.

While it is possible that there is no marriage record available, I'll make these suggestions in case there is something you have not tried. According to Vincent Venolia's WWI registration, he was born in Braidwood, IL in 1891. So unless you know of another town they arrived at, church records for Braidwood, Diamond, Wilmington, and Coal City, IL are possibilities for marriage records (the aforementioned woman Michelle could help if you decide to return to this area of search). Otherwise, write to the commune of Canischio. If your grandmother was born there, its possible she was married there as well.

Write to Canischio for her birth and possible marriage record:

Ufficio Anagrafe e/o Stato Civile
Comune di Canischio
10080 CANISCHIO TO
ITALY


Good luck.

[venolia]

Hi adamf.
My grandmother was born in Canischio Sept.26,1854,she immigrated to Braidwood,Il in 1882,she may have been married to someone named Bisonta and had a baby, Anna b. 1882,he left them in the 80s. Then she married my Grandfather in 1888 or not.
We have my Grandmothers birth certificate,we have been to Canischio and spoken to Ferreros,no help in finding my Grandfathers name.
Thank's

[Michael31]

www.paginebianche.it
cognome / dove
Fenolio TO
Fenoli TO
Fenolo TO
Fenoglio 12070
Ferrero Nucetto
Ferrero Canischio

[khafitzkha]

I have ancestry in Will and Grundy counties and awhile back I had a local researcher get copies of some marriage licenses for me. The surnames I had her check included any Fenoglios and Gaddos because one of my direct surnames is Fenoglio Gaddo. I may have a copy of any marriage license in the collection. Everything is in a box right now. If I don't post that info here in a few days or so, please remind me. I put the copies in plastic cover sheets in a ring binder so they are safe and should keep for awhile. Plus I can leaf through them like a book. I have them in chronological order. I have seen that surname spelling as well and also wondered if it might really be Fenoglio. The library in Coal City has the death index for Will County and I am pretty sure I found that surname spelling when I went through it and made extensive notes -- also kept now in plastic cover sheets with a ring binder. You and I might even be related. Our Enriettos probably came from Canischio as well. The aforementioned Michele Enrietta Micetich of the Carbon Hill Museum is a distant cousin of mine. She and I went researching together when I went up there to do that. But what I really want to get back to is the extensive city directories at the Joliet library. I could probably sit there and copy page after page of Piemontese surnames from those books alone. I honestly think I could spend a week in that library just doing that and still not get all of the information available -- a real treasure trove there.

Happy hunting on your search.

Barry Jernigan
Direct Surnames: Valerio/Valeriano (really originally Guglielmino), Fenoglio Gaddo, Enrietto, Vallero, Silvano, Buffo, Pomatto and tons of collateral Piemontese names like Marsaglia, Danzero, Rosso, Burla, Gecco, Perona etc, etc, etc
Towns in Torino, Piemonte often come across in research -- Prascorsano, Cuorgne, Canischio, Valperga, Castellamonte, Pertusio

[khafitzkha]

I found that box and checked through my copies of marriage licenses. Didn't find a match for you. I checked the Illinois Secretary of State website Marriage database and didn't find anything either. Oh well -- I tried.

Barry

[venolia]

Michael31
Thank you for the information about the white pages,my older brother was in Nucetto and said he did not think our grandfather's family had any roots there.
Bob Venolia

[venolia]

khafitzkha
Barry, Thank you for your effort.
My wife found a new place to look for my grandfather,San Martino di Noceto,Rapallo GE.
So we have a new Noceto to start on.